variants
also alarum
1
as in apprehension
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune
observed with alarm the man staggering toward the edge of the cliff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in warning
the act or an instance of telling beforehand of danger or risk
in a daring midnight ride Paul Revere gave the alarm that British troops were approaching
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
filled with alarm when the flood waters reached their front steps
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also alarum
1
as in to scare
to strike with fear
I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to worry
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of alarm
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The alarms that went unheard in the past are now blaring across the country.
—Josiah Bates, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
European leaders, alarmed at the rise in airspace incursions and the security threat that drones pose, proposed building a drone wall to protect the region’s eastern flank against potential attacks and incursions.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alarm
Noun
How To Respond In most cases, the appearance of sap is not a cause for alarm.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The alarms that went unheard in the past are now blaring across the country.
—Josiah Bates, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Union leaders are also alarmed by new regulations announced Tuesday that increase the minimum number of workers required to form a union from 20 to 50, and raise the maximum number of unions per factory from three to five.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
European leaders, alarmed at the rise in airspace incursions and the security threat that drones pose, proposed building a drone wall to protect the region’s eastern flank against potential attacks and incursions.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alarm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarm
Noun
-
When Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw noted apprehension by some that the Ellisons are in league with the president and MAGA on a certain media track, the Par CEO swatted the topic away decisively.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
-
But Collier said no one else was inside at the time of his apprehension.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Sourcing & Methodology This article was generated by software that analyzes National Weather Service warnings and advisories and creates an article based on templates created by humans.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Here there’s no warning, no provocation.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Last week, the VIX—Wall Street’s fear gauge—spiked to its highest level since April before easing, amid new trade policy uncertainties.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Amazon Web Services suffers widespread outage MAJOR HEADLINES BAYOU MYSTERY – Democrat mayor's 'gaslighting' amid serial killer fears called out by grieving family.—
,
FOXNews.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Carter Taylor of Kansas City, an elementary school educator and legislative chair for the Kansas City Federation of Teachers, said efforts to privatize education should scare parents.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Playing on parental fears, The Babadook has been scaring the daylights out of us for a solid decade now.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Grieving Vince, worrying about Bode, and taking care of her Cal Fire family is a lot to balance.—
Alamin Yohannes,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Amawi worried about the risk of refeeding syndrome.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In 2024, the European Union opted to not renew its approval for Sulfuryl Fluoride citing concerns over risks to human health and the environment.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Duan says this practice is increasingly prevalent within China’s CAE industry, partly to allay clients’ concerns about data security.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
There are no effective repellents or devices that frighten away raccoons.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
-
One, frightened, pressed her belly into the pavement.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Stanley, Simmons and Criss were dismayed by his appearance but sufficiently impressed with his fiery lead guitar work, and he was invited to join a few weeks later.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Steve was dismayed to learn that, although Scott’s wallet hadn’t been found, the cliff top hadn’t been treated as a possible crime scene.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarm. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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